Somali Pirates

[Citizen X]

These characters need to be dealt with in a more decisive manner. The current approaches are not working. These shady characters operate with impunity!
I naturally don’t condone pirates as it were but there is something of there behavior that is downright interesting. Let me put things into perspective. When they started off they would only board ships and demand the contents of the safe. They soon realized that most of the safes only contained documents. So they actually sat down and though and guess what? They looked to history for a very devious tactic namely kidnap people for ransom. You see this is what the predecessors done centuries ago. Don’t you find that interesting , these seemingly illiterate characters consulted some history books for a solution to their despicable problem!!!

[Justloadit]

I have always said that we have become civilized into extinction.

How would Cesar, Genghis Khan or Alexander the Great have handled the situation?

There may be an important lesson, and please don't come and tell me they are living in poverty, they are part of the poverty problem.

[tec0]

Kidnapping, murder and hostile takeover of ships and blackmail are not the acts of a desperate person. They know if they make their victims suffer and there situation dire that someone will pick up the bill.

So how do one deal with such a situation?

Arming the ships will not work… Having access to weapons doesn’t mean they will know how to use them nor how deal with an attack.

The only reasonable solution is to disarm the attackers. It is that simple really…

[wynn]

Send a few drones to turn all vessels in and near somalia into matchsticks.

If they claim subsistance fisherman, parachute drop a crate of frozen fish.

[Just Gone]

The only reasonable solution is to disarm the attackers. It is that simple really…

Being an ex military person myself it is actually NOT that "simple" to disarm the attackers !

[greasemonkey]

Russian style?

http://true-turtle.livejournal.com/85315.html

[Citizen X]

Do tell about your ex military experience and memories

[tec0]

Being an ex military person myself it is actually NOT that "simple" to disarm the attackers !

So by tracking the weapons back to the supplier and disrupting the supply of weaponry will not reduce the attackers ability to attack?

I would imagine that these criminals have a healthy stash of weaponry but if they cannot get resupplied there bullets will eventually run out…

Basically any operation in history revolved around 3 things.

1. Intelligence gathering.
2. Disrupting supplies
3. Take control and or eliminate assets.

Now since these 3 things are incorrect I am very curious… How would you stop these attacks considering the fact that you are ex military?

[Just Gone]

Quote [So by tracking the weapons back to the supplier and disrupting the supply of weaponry will not reduce the attackers ability to attack?]

The Russian made AK47 is one of the most effective assault rifles of all time and has been made since around 1950. It has been made for a long time and is easily available anywhere in any country. Please tell me how you would "track" back to the supplier and stop distribution. Yes you can track back one supplier for eg, but when one is found there are another 100 more that they can get from. Unfortunately it is like a desease. Take SA for example - at one point you could go to Komatipoort and buy one for R20. Then they stopped that - then you could go to southern Mozambique and get one for R30 bucks - and that is just SA ! As for "bullets" - these will never run out !

Have you ever wondered, when watching TV, when you see footage of a country in turmoil, eg Libya, and there are hundreds of rebels, all with assault rifles like the AK47,some shooting wildly in the air ...... where those weapons come from and where they will go to when the "war" is over. Those are all normal civilian people that have now stood together to overthrow a country and have been armed !! Where do you think they come from and are going to end up ?

Quote [How would you stop these attacks]
I dont think anyone has the short answer for this - it is a very sad situation - perhaps those ships do need armed gaurds on them at all times, especially when they sail in pirate waters, who knows. Perhaps they need more sophisticated radar on them to pick up a small fast powerboat that is closing on them with pirates on board. I am sure the relevant authorities are pulling their hair out trying to figure out solutions.

Quote [considering the fact that you are ex military?]
I'm sure there are many ex military people on this forum from the 1980 era. Some who just did their two years and some who were in for longer.

Lastly please remember that I did not say that it would not reduce the attackers "ability" to attack. I said that it is not that simple to disarm the attackers. Please read properly.

[tec0]

I maintain that intelligence is key. Those boats don't build themselves… They don’t need to be that fast just fast enough to intercept a slow moving cargo ship.

So in this situation one must consider what they use:
Fuel
Boats
Weapons

Where does the Fuel come from?
Where do the boats/materials to build boats come from?
Where are the weapons being imported?

If one can isolate any one of these 3 things you can seriously compromise their ability to attack.

Also I would imagine that heat sensitive cameras would proof very effective because a warm body on top of a cold one would be visible to these cameras.

Now as you know these cameras's can be very long range and you would be able to spot them long before their weapons are in range. Secondly I would imagine that (LRAD "Long Range Acoustic Device" will be able to send them packing long before they have the ability to do a counter attack.

It is not perfect I agree but keeping a healthy distance between the attackers and yourself I would imagine would help.

[Just Gone]

It is not perfect I agree but keeping a healthy distance between the attackers and yourself I would imagine would help.

How would you keep a "healthy" distance between yourself and your "attackers" when you are a very large oil tanker or freight ship or cargo ship or passenger ship, when they have a small powerboat wizzing around you ? These ships cant just keep their distance.

[wynn]

Boats are the answer, you can't be a 'pirate' without a boat. just destroy all boats in somali waters, harbours and beaches and hey presto no pirates, just a huge angry population of would be pirates and supporters.

If I was a fisherman and I new that my boat would be destroyed if pirates were allowed to operate from my area I would be the first to report the pirates.
By not blowing the whistle you are condoning the act, therefore you are complicit and your boat is a fair target.

[tec0]

How would you keep a "healthy" distance between yourself and your "attackers" when you are a very large oil tanker or freight ship or cargo ship or passenger ship, when they have a small powerboat wizzing around you ? These ships cant just keep their distance.

Well the new generation LRAD device can operate at a distance of up to 8900 meters. So you can deploy your defensive well within moderate safety. When exposed to the LRAD device can be painful and will slow the attackers down.

Now the Thermal camera is not new to the military and can identify a target from a very reasonable distance up to 6000 meters (depending on model and make). So you have your early detection and a long range deterrent that will give one much needed time to radio for help and keep your attackers at a distance of 5000 meters.

Most weapons like the AK47 will not work so far away. An RPG has a known distance of 930 meters (depending on model) so you have an advantage of over 5000 meters.

So if anything they will not speed towards you rather I would imagine they will try and get away from you as fast as possible.

[tec0]

If I was a fisherman and I new that my boat would be destroyed if pirates were allowed to operate from my area I would be the first to report the pirates.

By not blowing the whistle you are condoning the act, therefore you are complicit and your boat is a fair target.

You just identified an asset and figured out how to use it. If they don't comply and do not report the crimes being committed then it is within reason that the asset cannot be used as an advantage.

So the asset may help to warn the criminals of military ships and may even act as a distraction thus your mindset is well within reason wynn.

[Just Gone]

LRAD has been used against pirates and has not worked. It works very well with normal crowd control.